Hands-on: Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

Announced earlier this month, the ruggedized version of the flagship Galaxy S4, which we now know as the Galaxy S4 Active, will be making its debut sometime in the third quarter of this year. With dust and water resistance as its main feature, just how much different would the smartphone look?

First off, both phones do look similar in size although specifications showed that the S4 Active is slightly larger. The S4 Active is about 3mm longer, close to 2mm wider, more than 1mm thicker and weighs 21g heavier. It is almost identical to its immediate rival, the Sony Xperia Z.

The extra bulk is attributed to the water/dust-proofing and the use of a different plastic for the chassis of the S4 Active. On a more positive note, the extra bulk adds a more solid feel to the device.

The screen quality is also less vivid since it's based on a TFT LCD screen unlike the Super AMOLED screen found on the S4. The pros of using LCD include a brighter display and more accurate color representation. However, color saturation isn't as deep as AMOLED displays.

Of notable difference are the physical buttons present on the S4 Active. It's been a while since we last saw hardware navigation buttons since most phones today come with capacitive ones.

Overall, the S4 Active seems like a very capable smartphone. There is without a doubt that Samsung is targeting the same market segment as Sony does with its Xperia Z. If Samsung prices the S4 Active competitively, there is a chance that Samsung will give Sony a run for its money. Nonetheless, we can't wait to lay our hands on a review unit and put it through its paces to see which rugged phone is better.